Provenance

Wine Cellar Private Client

Critics Ratings

'Syrah-centred with satellites of 40% Mourvèdre, Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault, this is an "attempt to represent the whole Swartland", according to Paul Jordaan. All dry farmed, it's the best Columella I've ever tasted, with a lovely interplay between schist and granite soils, performing like two hands on a piano. Violets, fynbos and dry earth aromas segue into a palate that's focused, layered and subtle with bright, textured tannins and amazing minerality. 2022-35' - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2019, 98/100

'Shiraz with mourvèdre, grenache, carignan, cinsaut & tinta blended as representative of Swartland. 2017 among finest yet, exhibits great freshness, tension & secure core of tightly knit, ripe tannins. Incipient wild herb & sweet fruit complexities are temptations worth the long wait this benchmark deserves. Year in barrel, just 5% new, further 12 months in foudre. Unfined/filtered, as all.' - Platter's SA Wine Guide 2020, 4.5* (94/100)

'The nose is quite heady and yet entirely capitivating - pomegranate, olive, herbs, flowers, earth, liqourice, white pepper and other spice while the palate is super-rich with apparently sweet, dense fruit offset by lip-smacking acidity (lower than usual but certainly not insufficient) and very fine, powdery tannins (alcohol: 14.04%). It makes a massive impression and as with Palladius of the same vintage, you have the sense of some very deft winemaking under the trying circumstances.' - Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 95/100 (Jul 2019)

'The 2017 Columella has an outgoing, intense bouquet, a mixture of red and black fruit mixed with sage, tobacco and thyme, that seems a little smudged initially but gains clarity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, plenty of red berry fruit, a generous sprinkling of white pepper and a hint of fennel. Powerful yet refined, and very focused and harmonious on the finish. Gorgeous.' - Neal Martin, Vinous, 94/100 (Nov 2019)